Strong (physically) generally a turn off or on?

I’m keeping this general. I’ve always loved having muscle, I was raised in intensive sport and to me looking muscular looks normal and would be what I would choose for myself.

A friend of mine thinks most guys aren’t a fan of strong women (not steroids, just athletic/natural muscle)

Do you think physically strong women are seen as a turn on or turn off to a guy?

Does it make a difference if the guy also workout?

I would assume it would depend on the guy -- just like women, men have a variety of tastes. I can tell you that my husband loves when I am in shape and look strong. And that goes for his taste in other women as well. FYI, he thinks Serena Williams is sexy as hell.

Strong, muscular women are hot!

Then again, it also depends on the level of muscularity. If it's ripped, it could be a turn off, I think. If it's healthy muscle, as you put it, it's hot!

P.S - I've been muscular myself for the last couple of years, but I remember finding muscular women hot long before that.

Depends on the guy.

I'd try not to extrapolate one friend's bad opinion into a broader social context.

Even the most conservative guys I've known when it comes to gender roles have appreciated a woman who is built and strong enough to do things but who allows him that more physically tasked role in the relationship. Speaking personally, my lady's got a pretty natural athletic build, but her past of competitive track and soccer have helped, and I've always supported her investment in functional strength training, just as I do for anyone else, man or woman. So long as you're physically able, there's really no reason you shouldn't. The health benefits alone are profound.

Still, just as with women, there's generally a threshold, and admittedly a more limited one, when it comes to what's "too muscular" for a man's tastes, and that generally happens when your muscle size and definition starts to significantly diminish or overshadow your more "feminine" features (think something like your chest definition being more prominent than your cleavage or your lat width being what defines the top of your hourglass. But that, from an A&P perspective, is hard for a woman to do-- certainly much harder than I think most women afraid of building too much muscle realize-- and unless you're extremely genetically gifted, it's probably going to be the all-encompassing lifestyle you're adopting to maintain that build that turns the guy off more than the build itself.

In short, I'd say women with some muscle on them being a bit out of the ordinary comes much more out of a lack of expectation than any overarching preference of men that they not be. Of course, individual tastes may differ, but definitely nowhere near to the extent it'd merit the concern of a particularly physically fit woman, even if we were to put it into the most trivial and conventional contexts.

A friend of mine thinks most guys aren’t a fan

Do you want to date 'most guys' or would the RIGHT man for you be all that matters?

Start with who you are, and then shoot for the best match for that person.

Mass appeal is overrated and irrelevant. Once you find simpatico with someone who 'gets you' and adores you, you wouldn't trade that ONE person for all of the adulation in the world from 'most guys'.

Do YOU.

Do you want to date 'most guys' or would the RIGHT man for you be all that matters?

 

Start with who you are, and then shoot for the best match for that person.

 

Mass appeal is overrated and irrelevant. Once you find simpatico with someone who 'gets you' and adores you, you wouldn't trade that ONE person for all of the adulation in the world from 'most guys'.

 

Do YOU.

I agree with this and this post made me laugh because I am in my early 50s and used to do some strength training but given my limited time I prioritize cardio, and do that daily. So my legs/calves are strong but my son loves referring to me as "squishy" (I am thin, always have been thin or slim) - my abs have never been muscular and I used to hate that, now I accept it. My husband does more of the physically tasking things and offers to help with packages, etc. And I let him. He is not particularly muscular. I think he liked that I am petite and slim (he dated women who were taller than him but I don't think that was his preference). He is very supportive of my need to exercise daily and if I also wanted to strength train and spend time doing that he'd be supportive if it was for a medical reason but I think he'd balk a little about taking on additional child-care or other responsibilities so I could build muscle. Again it all depends. I've never heard of a typical guy wanting a muscular woman (meaning -actively looking for that) unless it had to do with a sport he was passionate about that he wanted her to participate in.

A woman who is mistaken for a man from the back because she is so muscular is totally different than a woman who runs and has a an athletic body. I would think the Miss BodyBuilder USA look would turn a number of men like because they are attracted to well...femininity. If you have defined abs and lean muscle from running - i don't think you will have a problem finding someone to date.

It really does depend on the guy.

Some men are completely turned off by muscle on women and want women to be all "feminine" which means soft and curves.

While other men like women who are toned or slightly muscular.

I like to collect old books, and I have some old school health books from the 50s and 60s. Besides a section for girls on how to be a good housewife ( including how to dress for your man) there are special tips for girls to avoid strength training as it gives an 'unpleasant, unfeminine look'. Just a fun tidbit.

Be your natural self. You won't lack for those who appreciate it. Trust me on this.

Added bonus, health !

Unless you're the -1% of women that have the testosterone to build muscle like a man, it's just not going to happen without you going on test. Or anavar.

Is your friend out of shape and trying to justify not doing anything to get in shape?

What I find really attractive are women that are in dancer shape. Not strippers...like samba, salsa dance competitions.

The tone they have, the back muscles moving around as they dance (upper, like shoulder area and down), very mesmerizing.

So what if the do? You going to stop being muscular?? Stop worrying about what people think.

Hey FD, I created a thread similar to this a few weeks back, but in the other direction.

I'm very thin, I do yoga and Pilates so am toned, and was asking same question as you about what men prefer.

Although my boyfriend loves my body, I was still feeling a bit insecure (so silly in retrospect) as I had just seen a photo of his ex, who looks like she could be on the cover of one of those muscle magazines!

I know some men have a very particular preference, but muscle can be sexy, and I can't imagine a man meeting you and feeling attracted to you and then when he notices how strong and muscular you are, getting turned off.

Anyway, my bf does heavy strength training and have started to do it myself, for increased muscle and strength, and whoa, A LOT different from yoga and Pilates!

It's funny I was just talking about it this morning with a co-worker (she lifts weights and is really strong), how I'm up to 100 reps (straight back seated cable rows for now) and how when my bf isn't around to push me, I pretend I am a physical trainer and talk to myself and push myself! lol

I agree with the others, I think you should live for yourself and have whatever body type YOU prefer to have for yourself and if guy doesn't like, then he's not the right fit for you.

I am following that same advice myself, fortunately though my bf does love my body as is; but I've been wanting to do more heavy strength training anyway (for myself) just to get stronger and more muscle definition in my arms and upper body.

I'd venture to say that the majority of men are NOT attracted to women with a muscular build, but I'm talking about the girls with traps and lats bulging from their rompers or thighs that look like they squat 450. Toned is great though.

I dated a "figure competitor" several years ago who looked unreal around contest time (despite the fact that it reeked havoc on her body) but in the off season, only looked slightly more muscular (typically in the delts, quads) than most women who frequently work out. However, she had a pretty petite frame and could drop weight easily due to her years of cutting down and her fanatical adherence to a strict training regimen and diet.

Her best friend was competitive in "fitness" divisions but had a bigger frame, carried a significantly larger amount of muscle (almost like a high school outside linebacker) due to the requirements of that type of competition. I will admit that a lot of guys were turned off by her muscularity and she struggled in finding guys to date because they all thought that she was only into women. She also got hit on by women frequently as well which added to her frustration.